Shared by André A. Pais
T h e M e t a c h r o n a l U n i v e r s e
Waves in the ocean don't move or travel in the ocean; instead, the ocean itself ondulates,
giving the sense that a wave is cruising it. However, the water is not traveling anywhere; the
water composing a wave is new at every millimeter traversed. So there is no water moving, just the illusory appearance of movement. It is much like the audience-wave (sometimes referred
to as “Mexican wave”) we see in sport events. There is no wave running around the stadium,
only people moving up and down while remaining in the same seat. Likewise, in the ocean the
water moves up and down in a way that creates the appearance of a moving wave when, in
fact, the water remains in the same place.
In a dream, we may imagine a car traveling down a road. However, such car doesn't remain
unitary, consistent or simply “the same” while driving down the dream road; there is no actual
car sliding or moving in the mind's surface. What happens is that the dreaming mind reshapes
itself as to give rise to the appearance of a moving car, despite the fact that no car, or mind, is
going anywhere – like the audience-wave.
In “real” life, in the waking state, the same happens. Objects don’t travel in space, like space
was made of some substance different from that of the objects appearing in it. Space itself
acquires or manifests the properties of the objects “moving” in it. So, there are no objects
moving in space, but only space arising or manifesting as the objects that apparently move in
it. But there are no objects in space, only the space itself – which is then merely another name
for existence.
Space itself is just another phenomenon, like any other, despite being quite subtle. However, it
too must be a functional thing – it cannot be either non-existent, or dysfunctional. So, to be
existent and functional, space must share the nature of all other phenomena, namely
emptiness, consciousness and information.
A car, when moving, does not retain its characteristics while traversing space. In fact, it is the
car’s characteristics that are transferred through space, much like sound waves travel in the air
before hitting our ear drums. For instance, when we walk through a room, we feel that our
constituents move from one place to the other, like the same entity or structure was moved
from one place to another. However, such entity or structure does not move at all. It is merely the information of said object that is transferred through space, recreating its shape and
function at each point of space and time.
We can also picture a tornado. There is nothing substantial moving as the tornado – there is
only wind. In addition, we could even say that the air itself is not moving – like the water in the
waving ocean. What is being transferred from one place to another is the information or
energy of the tornado, that, as it moves, excites the particles of air at every new location,
making it seem that the tornado, as a whole, has moved there.
It was said that an object does not move across the room, nor its constituents, but only its
information. In a way, this is merely a play with words, since there is no entity that possesses its
information. The information is the entity. What this metachronal view is highlighting is the
utter absence of a coherent, intrinsically existing whole, replacing it with the existence of a
merely conventional and functional agglomeration of interdependent data.
As I move across the street, “I” am not the same entity that started walking moments ago. What
happens is that “my” data, throughout the traversed space, keeps its informational consistency,
giving rise to the same appearance as before. Appearances – objects, people, thoughts,
emotions, cities, galaxies, etc. – are nothing other than coherently traveling information,
streams of data that act consistently according to their programming. The universe is only
cause-and-effectarising as informational patterns.
The sense of self is nothing other than an attempt at solidifying and personalizing what is just a
stream of impersonal information interacting in a universe of purely empty, conscious and
responsive data.
Why can’t objects merely move in space, like we are usually accustomed to believe? That
would imply that space itself was not an informational entity, since it would remain oblivious
to the passage of objects through it, assuming that space existed in a somewhat parallel reality, indifferent to its objects. However, everything that exists must be an informational, conscious
phenomenon – and that must include even space. Space is nothing but a very subtle type of
existent – one of the finer types of conscious phenomena.
Previously, in the section about Staticity11, an example was given about a particle floating in
the far reaches of space, as a possible instance of independent existence. In such an isolated
scenario, it was, however, said that even such a particle must constantly communicate with the
embracing space as to be able of functioning with it – which in this case is mere floating. What
is being affirmed now is that such communication implies the interpenetration of both
phenomena – space and particle, in this instance. Therefore, any objective and truly
established distinction between such interacting phenomena – or any other – is always a
merely conventional measurement, not any ultimate or essentially existing difference.
Ultimately, space is indistinguishable from the particle and vice-versa. Any truly dividing line,
in order to separate two existents, would have to be made of non-existence. Said hypothesis is,
however, untenable.
Space and phenomena are ultimately indistinguishable, which means that there is no space
and phenomena, but only either space or phenomena. So, there are no phenomena travelling
in space. We can either posit it as space reshaping itself as phenomena; or phenomena
interpenetrating each other – space being nothing but a label attributed to the natural
movement of transient existence.
The gist of this view is that there are no discrete and separate entities or objects moving
around, but merely a web of interpenetrating streams of information, data or consciousness,
creating the appearance of moving entities, objects and overall activity – a luminous display of
holographic and empty existence. This applies to very simple actions, like merely raising a
hand or the blinking of an eye.
T h e M e t a c h r o n a l U n i v e r s e
Waves in the ocean don't move or travel in the ocean; instead, the ocean itself ondulates,
giving the sense that a wave is cruising it. However, the water is not traveling anywhere; the
water composing a wave is new at every millimeter traversed. So there is no water moving, just the illusory appearance of movement. It is much like the audience-wave (sometimes referred
to as “Mexican wave”) we see in sport events. There is no wave running around the stadium,
only people moving up and down while remaining in the same seat. Likewise, in the ocean the
water moves up and down in a way that creates the appearance of a moving wave when, in
fact, the water remains in the same place.
In a dream, we may imagine a car traveling down a road. However, such car doesn't remain
unitary, consistent or simply “the same” while driving down the dream road; there is no actual
car sliding or moving in the mind's surface. What happens is that the dreaming mind reshapes
itself as to give rise to the appearance of a moving car, despite the fact that no car, or mind, is
going anywhere – like the audience-wave.
In “real” life, in the waking state, the same happens. Objects don’t travel in space, like space
was made of some substance different from that of the objects appearing in it. Space itself
acquires or manifests the properties of the objects “moving” in it. So, there are no objects
moving in space, but only space arising or manifesting as the objects that apparently move in
it. But there are no objects in space, only the space itself – which is then merely another name
for existence.
Space itself is just another phenomenon, like any other, despite being quite subtle. However, it
too must be a functional thing – it cannot be either non-existent, or dysfunctional. So, to be
existent and functional, space must share the nature of all other phenomena, namely
emptiness, consciousness and information.
A car, when moving, does not retain its characteristics while traversing space. In fact, it is the
car’s characteristics that are transferred through space, much like sound waves travel in the air
before hitting our ear drums. For instance, when we walk through a room, we feel that our
constituents move from one place to the other, like the same entity or structure was moved
from one place to another. However, such entity or structure does not move at all. It is merely the information of said object that is transferred through space, recreating its shape and
function at each point of space and time.
We can also picture a tornado. There is nothing substantial moving as the tornado – there is
only wind. In addition, we could even say that the air itself is not moving – like the water in the
waving ocean. What is being transferred from one place to another is the information or
energy of the tornado, that, as it moves, excites the particles of air at every new location,
making it seem that the tornado, as a whole, has moved there.
It was said that an object does not move across the room, nor its constituents, but only its
information. In a way, this is merely a play with words, since there is no entity that possesses its
information. The information is the entity. What this metachronal view is highlighting is the
utter absence of a coherent, intrinsically existing whole, replacing it with the existence of a
merely conventional and functional agglomeration of interdependent data.
As I move across the street, “I” am not the same entity that started walking moments ago. What
happens is that “my” data, throughout the traversed space, keeps its informational consistency,
giving rise to the same appearance as before. Appearances – objects, people, thoughts,
emotions, cities, galaxies, etc. – are nothing other than coherently traveling information,
streams of data that act consistently according to their programming. The universe is only
cause-and-effectarising as informational patterns.
The sense of self is nothing other than an attempt at solidifying and personalizing what is just a
stream of impersonal information interacting in a universe of purely empty, conscious and
responsive data.
Why can’t objects merely move in space, like we are usually accustomed to believe? That
would imply that space itself was not an informational entity, since it would remain oblivious
to the passage of objects through it, assuming that space existed in a somewhat parallel reality, indifferent to its objects. However, everything that exists must be an informational, conscious
phenomenon – and that must include even space. Space is nothing but a very subtle type of
existent – one of the finer types of conscious phenomena.
Previously, in the section about Staticity11, an example was given about a particle floating in
the far reaches of space, as a possible instance of independent existence. In such an isolated
scenario, it was, however, said that even such a particle must constantly communicate with the
embracing space as to be able of functioning with it – which in this case is mere floating. What
is being affirmed now is that such communication implies the interpenetration of both
phenomena – space and particle, in this instance. Therefore, any objective and truly
established distinction between such interacting phenomena – or any other – is always a
merely conventional measurement, not any ultimate or essentially existing difference.
Ultimately, space is indistinguishable from the particle and vice-versa. Any truly dividing line,
in order to separate two existents, would have to be made of non-existence. Said hypothesis is,
however, untenable.
Space and phenomena are ultimately indistinguishable, which means that there is no space
and phenomena, but only either space or phenomena. So, there are no phenomena travelling
in space. We can either posit it as space reshaping itself as phenomena; or phenomena
interpenetrating each other – space being nothing but a label attributed to the natural
movement of transient existence.
The gist of this view is that there are no discrete and separate entities or objects moving
around, but merely a web of interpenetrating streams of information, data or consciousness,
creating the appearance of moving entities, objects and overall activity – a luminous display of
holographic and empty existence. This applies to very simple actions, like merely raising a
hand or the blinking of an eye.